Somatic Afferent Fibers Relaying Information Regarding the Position of the Ankle

Question

Somatic afferent fibers relaying information regarding the position of the ankle joint _____.
A) travel in the lateral corticospinal tract
B) travel in the anterior corticospinal tract
C) synapse in the gracile nucleus of the medulla
D) do NOT synapse in the thalamus

Accepted Answer

Somatic afferent fibers, which carry sensory information including proprioception (position sense) from the lower limbs, synapse in the gracile nucleus of the medulla. This is part of the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway, which is responsible for transmitting fine touch, vibration, and proprioceptive information to the brain. The other options are incorrect because they describe motor pathways or incorrect sensory pathways.